PARTICIPATORY WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
Integrated watershed development was a new approach to natural resource development that came along with the acceptance of participatory approaches in development. Until recently, natural resource development programmes were implemented by various agencies such as state and central governments, NGOs etc. in different time frames and in isolation of each other. The new approach attempts to converge inputs from these agencies into a micro-watershed which is a hydro-geological landscape unit. It integrates all elements such as land, water, vegetation and livestock and focuses on the communities' use of all of these resources and recognizes the interdependency among them.

With this concept in mind, Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) enable user's institutions to manage these resources. All these path breaking and progressive approaches are embedded in a set of Common Guidelines for National Watershed Development Programme, formulated in 1994 and funded by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. DSC not only contributed to the formulation of these Guidelines but is also committed to making a success of this breakthrough. DSC helps build the capacity of PIAs that implements watershed programmes in India.

Currently, 12 NGO PIAs are supported intensively by DSC. DSC is also associated with 8 District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) for successful implementation of watershed development programme in the state of Gujarat.

A crucial partner in watershed programmes is the development administration at the state and district level. The Rural Development Commissionerate and the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) play pivotal roles in influencing the quality of results. These departments have administered programmes in a top-down manner for so many years that they were not able to re-orient their administration to be in tune with participatory processes. The appraisal and monitoring system rarely went beyond physical and financial aspects or included qualitative parameters. With DSC's support, these government agencies are now adapting a better system with innovative formats for appraisal and monitoring of watershed works. These formats are designed to bring out the process of institution building and participation of users.

DSC is a member of eight District Watershed Advisory Committees constituted by DRDAs and in the State Level Advisory Group constituted by the Government of Gujarat . DSC is also a member of Training, Monitoring and Evaluation Committees set up by the State Government.

DSC is also involved in direct implementation of watershed development programme. Presently DSC is working on 9000 hectares of area in eleven villages of Dhari Block of Amreli district and ten villages of Meghraj Block of Sabarkantha district in Gujarat .

DSC has carried out the Costs Benefits study in two of its watershed villages where watershed development has been implemented. The aim of the study was to build up two case studies, which will serve as a benchmark for the remaining watershed projects that are implemented by DSC and other implementing organisations. The study has revealed the financial viability (net present value, financial internal rate of return and benefit cost ratio) for both the watershed projects, considering 10-year of economic life of the assets created. In case of Rampura watershed project, the net present value of Rs. 15 lakh at 12 per cent discounting rate and financial internal rate of return are Rs. 79 lakh and 86 per cent respectively. Whereas in case of Hirava watershed, the net present value of Rs. 15 lakh at 12 per cent discounting rate and financial internal rate of return are Rs. 1 crore and 114 per cent respectively
In the completed watershed projects in Meghraj Block of Sabarkantha district, DSC have recently done an impact assessment study through an independent organization. Major finding of the study are

• There is a 10-15% increase in irrigable land due to increase nos of water bodies.
• Thre is increase in cultivable land with adoption of new seeds, technology, use of wasteland and available credit.
• Watershed activities are widly acknowledge by people and they are sure of getting better resultsin coming years.
• There has been significate awarness generation on bettr agriculture practices, goverm,ent schemes, rights and responsibilities of community and Panchayat and overall development issues.
• Institutions made in watershed programme need further support for a couple of years like capacity building, market linkages etc.
• In most of the project villages the landless form about 55 o the total population. However their benefit from the watershed programme is limited to receiving short employment.
• Status of women has gained a respectable position in society and family and their opinion and decision in family matters in considered.

The assets created during watershed development should be judicious utilized for productivity enhancement. The village watershed associations have a federated at a Cluster level. In both programme areas (Dhari and Meghraj), Watershed Federation has formed. The federation of the Dhari programme has registered under the producer company act (the Amendment Act 2002 in Companies Act 1956) name as "Dhari Krushak Vikas Producer Company Limited.

Having reached to the advanced stage of the watershed programme, the village watershed associations of Dhari block have now formed Taluka level federation for higher level of activities. The Federation has registered under the producer company act name as
"Dhari Krushak Vikas Producer Company Limited", presently the producer company has taken up the "Watershed Plus" (agricultural productivity enhancement) activities in the villages. With the active support of DSC, the producer company is also exploring the credit rout to development of land and agricultural productivity in the area. These field projects enable DSC to get first hand ongoing experiences in the fast changing social, political and economic contexts.